Because You're You
by VodkaAndSin2795
Summary: When Commander Shepard and her lover, Liara T'Soni are travelling back to Hagalaz after their last night before the suicide mission on the collector base they are sucked into an alternate universe... the universe of Dragon Age! Written from a nameless femShepard/Liara POV and featuring a nameless femHawke/Anders. Name change because I found a better song that represents them.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! Sorry about this, but I couldn't help it. This one's been running through my mind for a while. A Dragon Age/Mass Effect crossover! Rated M for everyone's favourite asari/human paring. If it isn't your cup of tea then by all means, go drink from a cup you like!**

**Shepard and Hawke are left unnamed and without description for reader comfort. Mainly so it doesn't burst fantasies all around. They're both women though...**

**A note to everyone following my other crossover story. Apologies - I've been busy over the summer. I will pick that up again! I promise!**

**None of the characters are mine. Apart from the pilot. He doesn't last long, though. With thanks to Bioware.**

**Hope you like!**

**Edit: I changed the title of the story mainly because I just got to know an old song by Elvis Presley called I Love You Because and I figured a line fitted Liara and Shepard - I love you because you're you. In fact, the entire song fits. Just go listen to it, okay?!**

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Because You're You

Chapter 1

The shuttle hummed softly around Shepard as she rested her head back against the cool metal wall behind her. The time was 0700 standard hours on a Friday, and she was taking Liara back to her base on Hagalaz. The newly appointed Shadow Broker was sat opposite her, staring down at a data pad she had held in her thin, dainty hands. The silence was a little tense – issues unspoken hung between them like smoke from a fire.

Shepard shifted her weight slightly, watching the asari she loved with tentative affection. Liara looked up from the pad, her lips forming a ghost of a smile. Things were not 'good' between them. Shepard knew that, and accepted that without question. The two of them had gone through too much for things to just be alright. Yet a part of her mourned the loss of the innocent asari. Liara was not the stuttering xenoarchaeologist Shepard had fallen in love with a little over two years ago. She was the Shadow Broker now. They were the opposite sides of the same coin.

"Five minutes till landing, Commander." Called the pilot; his voice was an intrusion. Liara looked back down to her pad.

"Affirmative."

The silence stretched between them. Shepard did not like silence – it did not suit her personality. She cleared her throat, but was at a loss. What could she say after the disastrous night she and Liara had shared?

She could recall every detail with painful accuracy. She had invited Liara to the Normandy for a drink, but they both knew that there would be very little 'drinking'. While Liara had been given a tour around the ship from Kelly Chambers, Shepard had escaped to her quarters and flew around the room, trying to tidy it. There were far too many empty bottles of alcohol to hide. She had comforted herself as she had stuffed them under her bed – Liara wasn't likely to look under there.

She had just rescued Liara's favourite wine from her almost empty liquor cupboard, and poured it into two glasses, when the door flew open and the asari had padded nervously into the room. Shepard had straightened and peered at her, swallowing before having a stab at small talk. They had humoured each other – Liara had revealed that she had recovered Shepard's dog tags, and she had accepted them.

And then their conversation had turned down a much more serious road; Shepard's feelings. She'd lied, of course. She didn't want to burden Liara with more strife. There was nothing to worry about. Even now, though the haze of a memory, Shepard could see the hurt this lie had inspired within Liara.

Back in the shuttle, Shepard sighed softly. The talk hadn't been the worst of it. Liara had made her promise to return, and Shepard had joked about having lots of 'little blue children'. The truth was she doubted she would ever return. It wasn't that she didn't want to; it was just that death seemed to hang about her like some sick version of a guardian angel.

At thought of this she peered at the asari again, tasking herself to remember every detail of her beautiful face. Her heart ached in longing; this would be the last time she saw Liara before she made the suicidal journey though the Omega 4 relay. In knowledge of this, she and Liara had made love with heated desperation. But all was not well.

In an attempt to shelter Liara from the worst of Shepard's memories of death she had not allowed a meld until the very last possible second, when Liara was begging for release. At memory of her death, Shepard felt her breath grow short and shallow. She could still feel the cold. The choking panic as realisation had dawned on her.

"Shepard?" A soft voice broke the haunting. Shepard snapped to the present, staring into those achingly beautiful blue eyes. "Shepard, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She replied gruffly, reaching forward and patting Liara's knee. In company their relationship was strictly professional. There was a pause as her hand lingered on the asari's leg.

"Commander?" Joker's voice on the intercom made them both jump.

"We read you, Joker."

"We're detecting an anomaly five clicks on your starboard side. EDI thinks you should go check it out. It's no big deal – we're getting serious interference on our scanners and we can't pinpoint the anomaly to get a sufficient reading."

"We're on it." Shepard tapped on the cockpit wall behind her and the heard their pilot respond affirmative. She returned her attention to Liara.

"So..." the Commander began, wishing she wasn't so clumsy with words. "What do you plan to do, oh great Shadow Broker?"

"Help you in any way I can." Liara smiled sweetly.

"How so?"

"By extorting, blackmailing and disposing of anyone who dares hinder your effort against the reapers."

Shepard answered dumbly, "Oh."

Silence fell again. The Commander watched the asari's eyes grow hard and determined. This is what Liara had become; a hardass information broker. It was almost a shame she had forgotten her innocence. And all for Shepard. Guilt erupted within her at thought of this. She wished Liara had forgotten her. She wished the innocent asari had moved on with her life. Death was inevitable, especially if the reapers or the collectors were involved.

Shepard was about to restart the conversation when darkness suddenly enveloped them.

"What the – Shepard to Normandy, do you copy?"

Silence.

She got to her feet as the shuttle rattled alarmingly and opened the hatch to the cockpit. The pilot was slumped over the controls, out cold. With a nasty curse, Shepard shook his shoulder, trying to get him to awaken. He did not respond.

"What's going on?"

Shepard glanced back. Liara had stood up and was hovering behind her, looking concerned.

"We've lost power. Andrews has gone cold on us." With a sigh she ducked into the cockpit and settled into the empty co-pilot seat, grabbing the controls and kicking in emergency power. The shuttle thrummed to life for a few seconds before cutting out again.

"Shit."

Shepard hesitated for the first time in her life, briefly remembering Captain Anderson's comment about the UT-47 Kodiak. It was a three-million-credit coffin. With mounting worry she glanced out into the depths of space. There was nothing there – just the coldly indifferent glitter of a billion stars. Space was indifferent to anything and everything. Shepard knew that first hand.

Even without power, however, they appeared to be moving.

"What the fu–"

There was a sudden ear-splitting explosion and the world dissolved into a sea of white light. Shepard struggled to breathe – she felt as though she was being squeezed into a narrow rubber tube and she couldn't quite draw enough air into her lungs. Panicking, she struggled before everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N: I have to say, I wasn't expecting this story to get so much love from the first chapter! So, here is the second!**

**And so, enter the Hawke. :)**

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Chapter 2

Shepard regained consciousness after what felt like a few seconds. Her head was splitting, and she distinctly tasted blood. Distantly she heard a fierce bleeping; so power had returned. She opened her aching eyes. Andrews the pilot was still out cold – he was now leaning back in his chair, a nasty cut on his forehead bleeding profusely. The red stain dribbled down his nose and dripped into his lap.

"Liara?"

There was no response. She glanced behind her. The asari was lying where she had fallen, looking peaceful. The Commander hummed in content before looking out the front window. They were hurtling towards what looked like the surface of a dusty planet. It took a few seconds for the Commander's brain to process this.

With a panicked cry she launched herself out of her seat and jumped back towards a still unconscious Liara, cradling her close as the shuttle smashed into the ground. The force of the impact threw the Commander like a rag doll, sending her catapulting into the rear of the shuttle. She used her body to protect Liara as best she could – she felt a distinct stabbing pain in her back and she bellowed her pain.

Blackness rushed to meet her as she collapsed to the ground, still holding Liara tightly.

The taste of blood was more potent when Shepard returned to consciousness once more. She forced her aching eyes open and immediately looked down at the woman held in her arms. A large purple bruise was already forming on Liara's forehead – Shepard supposed she had gotten that when she had fallen unconscious.

"C-Commander..." a voice wheezed. Shepard struggled to her feet, feeling behind her. A shard of metal was stuck in her back. But before she could further investigate the voice rasped again. It was coming from the cockpit. She staggered forwards, leaning in the hatch. Pilot Andrews was still in his chair. Or what remained of him. The entire front of the shuttle had imploded, crushing pilot Andrews into his seat. A single eye stared out of the coffin of metal. Shepard met that eye as the light in it was extinguished.

"Fuck..." Shepard turned away from the sight, trying to fight down her sick. Being crushed by metal was an awful way to go. Making her way to the shuttle door she slammed against it, trying to force it open. Her back burned again and she hissed, looking around her. There had to be a first aid kit around here somewhere.

"Shepard..."

Liara's voice caused relief to flood through the Commander. Shepard hurried to the asari's side, couching beside her.

"Are you alright?" her voice shook with concern. Those blue eyes peered up at her, and Liara's lips parted in a breath. Shepard's heart clenched suddenly and she brushed a thumb against the asari's cheek.

"I'm fine. What about you? What happened? Where are we?"

Shepard twitched in pain – this did not escape Liara's notice. She sat up quickly, her eyes widening.

"You're hurt? You've got blood all over your face. You had a nosebleed?"

"No it's fine–" Shepard shut her mouth as Liara hushed her and inspected her. Her heart hammered against her ribs. How the hell was she going to get them out of this mess? Her mind was racing. They'd landed on a strange planet with no long lasting supplies. They had emergency suits and packs–

The minute intake of breath from Liara broke Shepard's thoughts. She had discovered the shard.

"Lie down on your stomach."

She hesitated before complying. The floor was cold against her cheek as she settled, tensing when Liara's hand brushed around her wound. She heard a disapproving humph and then the asari moved away. Shepard remained where she was, watching as Liara fumbled around in the half dark of the cabin, searching for the first aid kit. There was a pop and a hiss as she located the small compartment. Shepard made to get to her feet.

"Stay there, Commander. You're wounded."

She curled her lip but sighed and stayed on the floor. Liara returned after a few more moments. Shepard hissed as she wrapped her hand around the shard of metal.

"I'm going to pull the shard out of you. It looks like it's gone quite deep."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Stop being such a baby. You've endured worse." Shepard tensed slightly as Liara began to slide the metal out of her. The pain was incredible, but Liara was right. She had endured worse. As she stared aimlessly at the door she remembered.

The choking darkness and the aching cold of space had burned themselves onto her mind. She could articulate the exact moment she had realised she was going to die. Each breath was painful, and panic had made her heart thrash in her head. It was all she could hear, other than the scrapings of her gloves against the back of her helmet. Each moment stretched for an eternity, yet were too short to enjoy. The instinct to survive had clung to her like a desperate lover, and she had writhed in the silence as her ship had broken into a million pieces before her. Her last thoughts had been of Liara. Snapshots of their time together had burned themselves onto her mind and, in the last moments when the air had finally run out, and her lungs had grabbed at nothing, she had remembered the last words she had spoken to her asari lover with regret. She wished she could have told her how much she mattered. How she made the world make sense.

Shepard swallowed at the memories. Her heart ached and she laid her cheek flat against the floor, peering up at Liara with difficulty. If only things were as they had been. The striking blue shards of ice met her eyes and they locked gazes.

"There." Murmured Liara, her focus returning to Shepard's wound. She dipped a hand into the first aid kit, pulling out some medi-gel. "This'll sting a little."

She was about to apply it when something slammed against the side of the shuttle. With a startled yell Shepard sat up quickly, shoving Liara back against the wall and drawing her Carnifex heavy pistol from under her loose fitting shirt. Blood seeped out of her wound, dribbling to the floor and soaking her clothes. The pain electrified her senses, making her tense as she listened out. There was definitely something outside.

An authoritative female voice was speaking, but the walls of the shuttle were too thick to make out anything distinct. Silence fell for a few moments before the grating roar of metal on metal sounded yet again, this time cutting straight through the metal walls. Alarmed, Shepard watched as several thin but strong fingers clenched around the edge of a gash and pulled. She did what was natural to her. Leaning over, she shoved the muzzle of the gun through the gap and squeezed the trigger. The resulting explosion caused several people outside to yell in surprise. The sound rattled around Shepard's mind, but she was comforted. She would die before letting them take Liara. Of that, she was determined. She backed up, crouching in front of the asari with her arms spread wide, ready to spring despite her wound. Shepard stubbornly ignored Liara's murmured protests and comments about how she could look after herself. Shepard was not prepared to take that risk.

There was another groan of metal before gauntleted fingers appeared in one of the wounds in the metal and someone cursed in exertion. The metal was peeled away like the rind off an orange. The sunlight dazzled Shepard for a few moments, but she was all too aware of the flash of a blade. Something cold lodged itself under her chin and gradually, as the sting of light faded, she made out the figure of a woman.

The woman had a sword pressed against her neck and she looked ready for business. Shepard tightened her hold on her Carnifex, clenching her jaw and staring up into a strangely blank face without fear. She would fight to the death to protect Liara. If they thought the wound would weaken her, they were wrong.

She felt Liara tense behind her, and she drew a breath, preparing to launch into combat.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

For a split second Shepard was torn between launching herself at the strange woman and staying with Liara. She trembled with the strain of staying upright – her wound was taxing her strength. Each dribble of blood was adding to the waning of her resolve. She felt her breath grow ragged as she fought to focus. Stray memories kept bubbling to the surface of her mind. The sun was too bright; it burned her eyes as she continued the staring contest with the woman.

"You wanna move that thing away from me?" Shepard said between clenched teeth. A tic had started in her jaw, and her voice sounded harsh and terse. The pain was getting to her. She swallowed, trying to concentrate as sweat broke out over her forehead. She had to stay in the present. She tightened her grip on her Carnifex, her knuckles going white.

The woman spoke calmly, her voice slightly muffled – Shepard's dull brain had only just realised she was wearing a helmet, "Only if you lower whatever you're holding. You're outnumbered and you're injured." She gestured to the growing pool of blood below Shepard. "Play it smart."

"Get the sword away from me and I'll put the gun down." Shepard growled. She felt Liara's body continue to tense behind her; she was getting ready to biotic punch this strange woman into oblivion. Rather than heeding Shepard's warning the woman hummed softly before murmuring what seemed to be a name. The Commander didn't quite catch it, but the blonde man standing beside her darted forwards quicker than Shepard could see and snatched the pistol away. He leaned on his staff slightly, examining the gun with interest. The woman immediately pulled away, lowering the sword and taking a good couple steps back.

From behind the woman what looked like a dwarf narrowed his eyes at her. He was holding a crossbow, and his dark gaze was fixated on Liara, who was peering over Shepard's shoulder, her body glowing steadily with biotics. The Commander could feel the thrum of power behind her.

"Hawke," the dwarf muttered, "the lady behind her is blue. She's also kinda... glowing? Are you sure lowering your weapon is a wise idea?"

The woman answered confidently, "She's injured, and isn't likely to attack me."

The blonde man beside her opened his mouth in protest. "But Hawke, they could– "

"She can't touch me. Stop worrying, Anders." With that the woman lifted her armoured arms and pulled her helmet off, shaking out her hair. She regarded Shepard with a pair of sharp, intelligent eyes. The Commander felt herself being assessed, and she returned the gaze, trembling with the effort to remain completely still.

"Do you vow not to attack me or my companions?"

Shepard snarled with deadly intent. "You touch Liara and I'll gut you like a husk. You hear me?"

For some reason the woman seemed amused by this. She hummed before replying, "I vow not to touch her. Do you need healing?"

Shepard did not relax. Her mind was struggling to cooperate with her mounting apprehension. She played out various outcomes in her head. Each and every one ended with one of those nasty blades buried deep into Liara's body. She clenched her jaw, blinking the sweat out her eyes. That wasn't good enough! She _had_ to protect Liara. She... she _had to_...

"I-I'm fine." The Commander shifted closer to the asari, feeling her warmth against her back. Her arms were still outspread, but trembling slightly. She felt naked without her gun. "Who... who are you?"

"I am Hawke. These are my companions. Varric Tethras," the dwarf bowed to them politely with a murmured assent, "Anders," the blonde man nodded to them, "and... Fenris." A third figure stepped out from around the other side of the shuttle, sporting a huge sword. He was glowing faintly. Shepard shuffled on her feet slightly, trying to keep them all in eye sight, her boot shifting through her blood.

"I'm pretty sure you need healing, miss." The blonde man, Anders', eyes were fixated on the pool under her.

"I'm fine. M'name's Shepard. This is Liara. We crashed here. We're stranded." It was becoming increasingly difficult to speak.

Hawke raised an eyebrow. "So we can see. Anders can heal you, and you can trust him."

"I said I'm fine." Shepard snapped; she felt pressured to get them away. Softening her tone with difficulty, she continued. "Where are we?"

"You're just outside of Kirkwall, on the Wounded Coast. This is the country of Thedas." Hawke jerked her head towards the shuttle, looking curious. "Where are you from?"

"The sky." Liara said softly, seeing how her bondmate was struggling with her wound. Shepard was grateful to hand over the speaking to Liara – she wanted to put the rest of her strength into being the guard dog. She felt slightly dismayed as the group gathered around the shuttle looked confused.

"Pardon? I didn't quite catch that."

"She said the sky," Shepard said with agonised exhaustion. "We came from the sky."

There was a moment of silence. Shepard shifted her weight again, trying to stay strong. She had already been left weak from the crash, and despite her Alliance training, and her childhood on the streets of Earth, the wound was draining her will to stay crouched on her feet. She could feel her legs trembling slightly now.

"The sky? What do you mean?" Hawke's eyebrow rose high at this. Shepard swallowed, trying to gather her thoughts and concentrate.

"We fell from the sky. Our shuttle... something happened." She remembered the choking, crushing feeling and clenched her jaw. "I don't know what happened. But we were fine one moment, and the next we were crashing into your planet."

Shepard felt a soft hand on her waist, and strength filled her anew. Liara was with her, supporting her slightly.

Varric the dwarf looked shocked. "So this thing can actually fly thought the sky?" He laughed and shook his head, putting his crossbow over his back. "Amazing!"

Fenris, the man with white hair, did not look as impressed. His lip curled into a sneer and he glared at Shepard with suspicion. Shepard didn't have the strength to try and understand why. Hawke was stroking her chin with a gauntleted hand, murmuring in fascination and staring at the shuttle. The Commander trembled slightly, her arms drooping a little.

"Shh, love," murmured Liara softly in her ear. "Relax. We're alright. If they try anything I can defend us both."

She ignored Liara with steadfast determination, and took a shaky breath, almost breathing life back into her limbs. She would protect the asari with her life. She risked a glance down – the blood was so red...

"Please let me heal you," Anders began, looking slightly lost as the Commander raised her eyes to him. He gripped his staff tightly, "you're bleeding out –"

"No! I'm fine." Shepard snarled with renewed resolve. She wouldn't trust these newcomers with her wound. She would trust Liara with it when they left them alone.

"You're obviously not fine." Hawke said, putting her hands on her hips and staring down at the blood. Then her gaze fixated on her face. "You're white as snow."

"We... we have our own supplies." Shepard managed to blurt. Each word was taxing now. "It's fine."

"And we have a healer. You need healing." Hawke gestured to Anders. Shepard spared him another glance. He really did look eager to help. However, she felt doubtful. She needed medi-gel and a good night's rest. She'd be fine after that.

"I'm strong enough to survive." The words were automatic – she had said them many times back when she'd been on Earth as a street rat.

"But do you have magic to heal yourself completely? Anders does." Hawke hummed softly, stroking the pommel of her sword idly. Shepard inched backwards into Liara more, pushing her further into the shuttle.

"I... I don't need magic." She could hardly believe what she was saying. Magic? Was she getting delirious from the loss of blood?

"Are you sure? You might die like this."

"I've died once." The confession sounded rough in her mouth and distantly she felt Liara solidify against her back. Ah, yes, that was another issue yet to be resolved between them. After a moment spent collecting herself she continued with pride. "I won't die from a little scratch like this."

Hawke tilted her head slightly, frowning slightly. "Being proud won't make you any better either. I have a home in Kirkwall – the city near here – and plenty of room to spare. You are welcome to stay there."

"We will stay here."

Varric hummed softly and began to speak, his voice lulling Shepard deeper into her delirium. "I wouldn't advise that. The Wounded Coast is the hotspot of bandits, rogue mages and Tal Vashoth for some reason." He hummed and continued dryly. "It must be the view."

Normally Shepard would have been interested to know what a Tal Vashoth was; however there was a constant haze just on the edges of her mind. For some reason she longed to retreat there – it seemed safer there than in the present. However, the nagging desire to protect Liara would not let her settle and she fastened her courage to the sticking post, determined to see this encounter out.

"We can... defend ourselves." The words stuck to her tongue and took an age to erupt into the air. She blinked slowly, her legs leaden. If only she could lie down. She would feel better then. She fought to keep her mind focused; the Hawke woman was speaking now, but Shepard heard only a few snatches of her words.

Listlessly, she spoke again, the words muddy and dull in her ears. "Liara can defend us."

"She can defend you from bandits, mages, monsters and Tal Vashoth?" Said Hawke, her gaze hard and stern; her expression was also a little doubtful.

"By the way," Varric butted in, "Tal Vashoth? Giant, horned, no nonsense kind of guys. Not friendly."

With a groan, Shepard said Liara's name. In her half stunned state she couldn't help but notice how the cry sounded like a howl of desperation. In response to this, Liara flared her biotics, showing the strangers her power. The Commander basked in the warmth of the blue light for a moment, remembering exactly how the biotic flare cast shadows when they made love.

The sound of Hawke's voice coaxed her back into the present. At first her words were meaningless and she gazed up at the woman blankly. But, the last sentence rang clear. "... would probably whore her out as some rare species."

She assumed correctly that Hawke was talking about Liara. She tensed up again, snarling suddenly. "No! They'll have to kill me before they get her."

There was a pause in which Hawke eyed Shepard with knowing. She wouldn't even last long against a pyjack. Almost to emphasise Hawke's unspoken statement, the Commander felt her legs tremble again. Her arms had started to feel as heavy as her legs – it was like she was carrying several elcor on each limb.

"Miss Shepard," Varric hummed. The Commander peered at him, her attention very much focused on the conversation. This was about Liara's welfare after all. "Hawke isn't a joking Lady. She's telling you the sweet things they can do to you both."

"They could even ship her off to the Tevinter Imperium thinking she was a demon of some sort," Hawke continued, "get a hefty price for her too, come to think of it. And my friend can vouch that they are not a nice country." She nodded to the white haired man. Shepard struggled to remember his name for a moment. Fenris?

"Yes." He growled, stepping forward and eyeing Liara with caution. Shepard shifted slightly again. "They'll use her for more than a slave."

Shepard spoke again, her voice growing distinctly weaker. "I... I've got to keep her safe..."

Hawke smiled kindly and spoke softly, obviously trying to settle Shepard's nerves. "We'll keep you both safe. You are strangers to this land. All I need is for you to trust me and my companions."

Shepard glanced between the strangers, her breath coming short as sweat trickled into her eyes. Her mind was racing again, finally firing on all cylinders for the first time since the crash. The idea of going with these people when she was injured and unable to defend Liara seemed like a very stupid idea. Even if she managed to get her gun back, she had a feeling that messing with Hawke would end with death. Hawke reminded Shepard forcefully of herself – she had a team of loyal companions, much like her crew. She knew they would die for her. But what about Liara...? A small voice whispered soothingly in the back of her mind – Liara could protect herself. She had been uncovering Prothean ruins and fighting off attackers when Shepard had been drooling in a crib somewhere on Earth. She didn't need Shepard.

God... she felt so tired...

Hawke was speaking again. "Let Anders heal you before you die on us."

"No..." she replied shakily.

Liara brushed her hand against her side, murmuring in her ear softly. "Shepard..."

"No, Liara. I can wait. I can... I can make this..."

Hawke stepped forward, sighing softly. "Look, I can wait until you pass out, then Anders will heal you anyway. He's soft like that."

Hazily, Shepard felt something within her give in. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to trust these people... Her legs trembled with the strain as more blood dribbled to the floor, splotting in the growing pool at her feet. No. She could live through this. She just wanted Liara's touch to heal her. She trusted Liara. But then Liara's voice was in her ear again.

"It's alright, Shepard. These people will help you. It's alright. Just let them treat your wound." She coaxed gently. Shepard resisted with the last ounce of her strength, glaring up at the Hawke woman. She would not give in. She would defend Liara. She would keep her world safe.

The choice was taken from her as her body finally gave in. Shepard felt the world suddenly tilt as she started falling forward, and then the darkness caught her in warm, safe arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N: Howdy folks! Sorry about the late upload – collage has started again and I've been working pretty hard. Plus, over the weekend I was busy sorting out my house for my mum's return from up North. I worked extra hard on this one to get it done today, sweeping essays aside. So, I apologise if it seems a little rushed.**

**In other news: happy N7 day! Five years of Mass Effect! Best game I've ever played.**

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Chapter 4

Liara caught Shepard as she tipped forwards, easing the Commander onto her stomach and laying her on the floor away from the blood. The asari stared at the wound, swallowing with a single crystalline thought; _Oh, Goddess... _It gaped widely like a toothless maw, and was still bleeding steadily. The shard of metal had been shoved so deeply, Liara could see Shepard's insides glistening slightly in the light from the sun. She swallowed, staring at the white glimpse of her human's spine. It would take more than medi-gel to heal a wound like that. Shepard needed professional medical attention. A lithe blue hand went to the warm patch on the front of her dress. Shepard's blood had stained it beyond repair.

Liara raised her gaze to the strangers gathered around the shuttle, regarding them coolly. Unlike Shepard, she had nothing but a small headache. She was fully prepared to deal with these people with all her power. Shepard wasn't the only one with a protection complex.

The Hawke woman was regarding Shepard with a slight frown creasing her forehead. _How curious,_ Liara thought, _she's like Shepard. _Indeed, the woman had an air about her – an air of command. Those cool, calm eyes finally settled on the asari and she spoke carefully, "I can't understand you, but you can understand me. My friend Anders is going to heal your friend. I swear to you, I will make sure she lives."

Liara nodded slowly, deciding to trust the strangers. Shepard was wounded mortally – there wasn't much else she could do. _Goddess, I hope they really are going to help her. If not, I'll tear them limb from limb and actually flay each of them with my mind. _Her lips pressed into a grim line at the thought of breaking them all and leaving them drooling husks of their former selves. The Anders man then stepped forward, distracting her from her dark thoughts, and clambered into the shuttle. His eyes were warm and kind and he smiled reassuringly at her.

"I'll heal her as best I can. I promise." He said, before his hands ignited with blue light. Liara blinked and examined him with interest. Was he using biotics? In all her life she had never heard of anyone using biotics to heal anyone. Her questioning was cut short when she watched Anders hover his hands over Shepard's wound.

"It's bad." He said softly, taking a deep breath. "I won't be able to heal it completely – just the first few layers of muscle and skin so it's closed off from the elements." He glanced up at her with a pair of deep amber eyes. "She won't be able to do anything strenuous for at least a week, if not two, to be safe."

The asari nodded before looking down at Shepard's wound; it shimmered slightly with each steady breath the Commander drew. Then, the blue aura from Anders' hands flared and Liara watched with amazement as Shepard's flesh quivered before knitting itself back together slowly. She glanced up at Anders – his eyes were shut in concentration and his face was quickly going pale – with wonder. How could she ever thank this man?

"You aren't seriously considering taking that woman and her... pet abomination home, Hawke?!" snarled an angry voice. Liara tore her gaze away from Anders and frowned, peering out the shuttle. Fenris, the tall white haired man with pointed ears, was glaring at the Hawke woman. His eyes were steely and furious, and his mouth was set into a thin line.

"Of course I am." Hawke replied calmly. "I cannot leave them here – bandits will kill them before sunset. It's my moral responsibility to make sure they're safe."

Fenris started pacing at this, strange markings on his skin flaring in agitation. Liara watched as he steadily wound himself into a rage.

"The blue woman – she's not normal. How do we know she's not some sort of demon? How do we know she's not going to kill you while you sleep? We should take the woman and leave the demon here."

"Sorry, Broody," the little man said – his eyes were warm and his voice rich, "you know that's not going to happen."

"Who asked you, Varric?" Fenris twisted to him with a snarl, reminding Liara forcefully of a trapped Varren. His cold eyes sought hers and he curled his lip, his gauntleted hands flexing. "What are you looking at, demon?"

"I am not a demon." Liara replied, feeling a little urge to defend herself, even if these people couldn't understand her. Fenris laughed out loud and turned to look at Hawke.

"See? Its words are poison. We should not trust it."

"She's not a demon, Fenris." Said Anders patiently; Liara returned her attention to Shepard. All that visibly remained of her wound was a raw, shiny looking patch of skin, similar to that of a scar. As she watched, the scar faded, leaving her back looking good as new. Anders let out a held breath in relief, sitting back on his haunches and wiping his forehead clear of sweat. Liara eyed him with curiosity – she was a scientist after all. He looked exhausted, and his hands shook as he searched in the small bag.

"Here." Hawke appeared at his side, holding out a bottle filled with blue liquid. Anders took it, looking grateful before unstopping it and quaffing it.

Liara gathered her wits about her and murmured in her best English, "Thank you."

He smiled at her and waved his hand nonchalantly. "No problem. I wouldn't consider moving her for a couple days, just in case her wound opens up again. It shouldn't do, but I don't think you should take the risk."

"So we can't move her then?" Hawke frowned slightly. "Alright, we'll find a cave and one of you can stay and look after them. Fenris, Varric, go scout out a cave and make sure it's safe for these two to stay in."

At once Fenris and Varric turned and padded away. The smaller man knocked his elbow into Fenris' side, laughing roughly. Liara blinked, curious – his size reminded her of a Volus; except he seemed much less inhibited by his height.

"Hawke," Anders began but she waved a hand.

"I know what you're going to say. I think you're right." She peered at Liara and continued with a gentle smile. "Anders is going to stay with you and protect you tonight. He'll make sure no bandits or anything attack you. You can trust him. He's the strongest mage I know. He'll look after you."

"Thank you." The asari said again, unable to convey the sudden rush of gratitude appropriately. She had been right to trust these people, then. Thank the Goddess. She gazed back down at Shepard, feeling worried once more. It was the first time Liara had seen her look so peaceful since they had been reunited on Illium. For a moment the bitter cocktail of regret and guilt drowned her worry. If only she hadn't been so cold...

"The cave is fine." The deep voice jolted Liara from her thoughts and she looked up. Fenris and Varric had returned sporting the body of a huge eight legged creature. Her eyes widened slightly – a spider! Shepard had told her about spiders once, and she had decided she didn't like them very much.

"Good, that's good." Hawke grinned at Varric. "Wow, that is a big one! Didn't have too much trouble, did you?"

"Hawke, Hawke," Varric chuckled warmly. "Have you met me? My chest hair could throttle a spider within a heartbeat. And Bianca could take them down with her eyes closed." He patted the weapon he had slung across his back.

Hawke just laughed and shook her head. "Right. We have to move these two to the cave. Fenris? Help me carry the injured."

Liara frowned and spoke up, "I shall carry her." There was an awkward pause in which the strangers all turned to peer at her curiously. She restrained herself for a moment before gesturing first to Shepard and then to herself before miming carrying her. Understanding, Hawke nodded.

"I see. Right. I'll help you carry her then." She stepped forward and grabbed Shepard's ankles. "Varric, lead the way."

Liara took hold of Shepard's wrists and, with Hawke, lifted her and moved her carefully out of the shuttle. The moment she was out of the shade and shelter, the sea air hit her like a slap in the face. Despite herself, she took a deep breath and the fresh scent cleared her head. And then the weight of Shepard's limp body brought her back to the present. She held her as tightly as she could, being careful to move with the utmost care. Shepard was more fragile than she thought.

Varric led the way up to the cave which was concealed from the nearby path by two great boulders. The sun was lowering itself in the sky and Liara glanced up at it. It was as bright as any sun she had ever seen. It was comforting to know that they would be warm enough in the day. She recalled how much Shepard hated being cold.

They carried Shepard to the cave without much hassle. Liara and Hawke placed her near the wall on the right side so the sunlight could play over her still lax face. Liara placed the Commander's arms at her sides so she could be comfortable before peering at Hawke. Again she said her thanks to which Hawke replied, "There is no need. It's the least I can do. You need fresh clothes. I think Anders has a spare cloak or something. I will return later in the evening with supplies for you."

"Thank you." Was all Liara could say. She tried to express her appreciation by taking Hawke's hand and shaking it, and the way the other woman's eyes crinkled at the corners suggested that she understood. A sudden memory dawned on her then. She had completely forgotten that in the several survival packs they had in the shuttle, there were at least seven spare translators. She had to remember that for later, and gather them. For now, however, she would look after Shepard, and keep an eye on their guardian, who was peering into the depths of the cave, holding a staff.

"Right." Said Hawke. "We'll be on our way. Anders, look after these two women. I'll be back before sundown."

"Alright then." Anders turned and smiled, waving slightly. "See you later. Can you check into my clinic and tell my patients I won't be back until tomorrow?"

With a laugh of assent, Hawke turned and padded away, Fenris and Varric in tow. Liara crouched next to Shepard, taking hold of the Commander's hand. Goddess... how were they going to get out of this mess?


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N: Sorry for the late update! Collage, again, I'm afraid. I tried hard on this one - and we'll be having my first, published, attempt at sexy sexy asari sex times, next chapter. Hope you enjoy it! Shepard's there to kick ass and eat asari, and she's run out of asari.**

**By the way, italics are thoughts!**

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Chapter 5

Consciousness returned to Commander Shepard with a spark of vitality. For a moment she remained there, on some hard surface, completely at peace. She was on the Normandy, in the Med Bay. She was having a quick check over for some ailment Doctor Chakwas was concerned about. Everything had returned to normal.

An unfamiliar voice electrified her senses. Automatically she tensed, but kept her eyes closed, listening to the voice while her sluggish brain struggled to keep up with her poised-for-action body. No. Nothing was alright. Nothing was normal. The floor wasn't hard enough to be a med bay bed, and the scent of wood smoke did not belong on a ship. She definitely wasn't on the Normandy. She was on a strange planet, injured and trying to keep Liara safe.

Liara.

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly. The voice had gone quiet, leaving an echoing silence. It terrified her and for a moment her heart leapt up her throat to hammer in her mouth. Then she got a grip on herself. She took a good look around her. She appeared to be in some kind of cave – her surroundings were illuminated by the flickering of flames coming from the entrance. She watched for signs of movement. There was nothing for a moment, and then a black shape shifted into the light. It was a man. His back was turned to her, and he was gazing into the fire.

Taking a steadying breath, she quietly pushed herself into a kneel. The memories from before her blackout provided a shadow of pain and her hand went to her back. There was no wound. Only a hole in her shirt and what felt like dried blood.

How… odd.

She shook her head and crept forward. Commander Shepard's mind went into overdrive as she tensed. Each second presented a new plan of action; a new way to kill him; a new way to escape and find Liara. The silence was crushing, and her boots scuffed softly on the stone below as she inched towards the man. Over his shoulder was slung a weapon – a staff made of wood. Something about it prompted gooseflesh to line the skin of her arms, and the hair on the nape of her neck pricked and bristled – it was as though she was drawing near to some sort of force, as though she was being pushed away by the tendrils of the universe itself. She frowned in confusion and shook her head, dispelling her disquiet and pausing a few yards from him.

He hadn't noticed her. Yet.

Barely breathing, Shepard hesitated. The light from the fire played over her face, and it cast deep shadows over the cave walls, silhouetting her form over the rough stone. Her task was clear; detain and neutralise.

Without a second thought she launched herself forward, wrapping her arm around the man's neck and tightening her grip. He unleashed a strangled yell, writhing as she choked the air out of him with all her strength. Their writhing forms cast a terrifying pictogram of anger and frustration; both of which boiled within the Commander like a wild storm. It was an uncontrollable beast, roaring through Shepard with a ferocity she had never known before. It was nothing like the anger she had felt towards Saren. Nothing like the fury she conjured when fighting the Collectors. This was overpowering.

It might have scared her had she not been distracted.

His arms were grasping wildly for his staff and she relieved him of it as quickly as she could, casting it away carelessly before forcing him onto the ground. With a snarl she pressed his face into the dirt, placing her knee on the back of his neck. He struggled for a few moments before lying still, panting hard as the Commander straddled his back and leaned down, growling threateningly in his ear. "If you hurt Liara I'm going to cut your balls off and stick them in your mouth while you bleed to death, you hear me?"

"Can't… breathe! Please…" The man wheezed as Shepard pressed him harder into the ground. She grabbed his blonde hair and slammed his face into the stone below.

"Where is she?" Shepard asked with deadly calm, pulling his head up and forcing his spine into an uncomfortable arch.

"Gone… walking!"

Unsatisfied with this answer, Shepard repeated the exercise of introducing his already bleeding nose to the ground with exaggerated composure.

"Bullshit. What have you done to her?"

"Nothing! Nothing, I swear it!"

"If you're lying I'm going to make you suffer so much you'll piss yourself whenever you hear the name Shepard –"

At that moment another voice shattered through the Commander's thoughts, silencing her threat, "Commander! No!"

Her head jerked up, her hand still buried in the man's hair. He was gasping wildly through bubbles of blood – but Shepard was staring at the woman hurrying towards them.

It was Liara.

Shepard's heart soared after a moment of confusion. She lurched to her feet, her legs like jelly, and staggered towards the asari. Her eyes traced up and down Liara's body, trying to find evidence of a wound. There was nothing but the deep stain of blood across her belly. Her blood, Shepard remembered. Liara seemed to be a little stiff as she walked towards the Commander, but she was not obviously hurt. It was with an almost animalistic moan that Shepard said Liara's name before she wrapped her arms around those thin shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"C-Commander what –" Liara began.

"Liara..." the name was sweet on her lips, and she tightened her grasp, squeezing the asari for all she was worth.

"Shepard," Liara said with some difficulty. "I cannot... I appreciate your affection. However, I am unable to breathe.

The Commander let go at once to peer into deep, azure pools. _She is so beautiful..._ The wave of affection quenched the fire of fear. Her shoulders heaved in suppressed emotion before she hung her head. It took her a moment for her to pull herself together.

"Glad you're alright." Shepard said gruffly before turning to the man, who was sitting up, rubbing the back of his neck.

He peered up at her and swallowed, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. His nose was a bloody mess – it was twisted and bubbling. Broken, by the way it had snapped to the side. His breathing was laboured by pain; each intake of breath rattled, and each exhale made blood spit and splatter through the air. Shepard felt a wave of remorse, followed by a spark of pride. She had protected Liara, and made sure this man wouldn't dare hurt her.

"I won't hurt you. I promise." He murmured, the fire flickering over his face.

"Good. So long as you didn't hurt Liara, we're going to get along fine. You're that man from before, with the Hawke woman."

"Yes. My name is Anders."

She nodded and cast her gaze around, looking for her gun. It was there, beside the fire. A small doubt squirmed in her belly. The weapon was out in the open – was it bait? Had he lulled Liara into a false sense of security to he could ambush her? Her eyes darted around the halo of light, and strained to peer into the impenetrable darkness. Where there others surrounding them?

_Jeez... when did I get so paranoid?_ She thought to herself, checking her internal suspicions and taking a mental step back. She forced herself to relax by taking a steadying breath.

"I'm sorry I attacked you." She said calmly, almost contently.

"It's uh... alright. Really, it's fine." He replied through his broken nose. His eyes lit with a sudden concern. The red dye of blood had spread to his tunic. Shepard's eyes followed the stain and felt guilty – she had been wrong to be so suspicious. His voice was gentle as he spoke again. "Are you alright? How is your back?"

"My...?" Shepard's memory provided the hazy ghost of her hands groping at the shard of metal that had been embedded near her spine. "My back's fine. I noticed there is not wound there?"

"Yes." Anders said. "I healed you. Speaking of which..." The hand holding his nose glowed blue, not unlike Liara's biotics – Shepard tensed slightly, then raised her eyebrow as the clear crack of bone sliding into place echoed through the silence. Anders shook his head and pulled his hand away, smiling slightly.

"There." He said simply, sitting on his haunches and peering at them both. "I can talk without distraction now. Perhaps I should explain myself?"

"Please do." Shepard replied before imitating him, moving close to the fire. She had not realised how cold she felt – the warmth was welcome. Anders took a breath before starting to explain. He was a mage; a human who could control magic. Usually, he channelled his power through his staff for combat – at this he gestured to the wooden rod Shepard had cast aside so easily in their squabble – but he could use his power to heal wounds through his hands. Liara interjected at Shepard's look of confusion; from what she had found out from Anders, magic was not like biotics. It was a force not dissimilar to gravity or magnetism and mages were humans who were born with the ability to interact, and control this force.

"Where does magic come from?" Shepard asked, curious. Magic back home was nothing but the stuff of fairy tales and cheap tricks by magicians. However, she had a suspicion calling Anders a 'cheapskate wizard' would be bordering on being rude, and she had just seen him heal his broken nose with nothing but a bit of light bulb action from his hand.

"Magic comes from what we call the Fade." Said a female voice from behind them. Shepard jumped and whirled around, her hand grasping for the gun that was not there. There was a soft laugh and a couple of footsteps before the woman from before entered the ring of light, followed by the dwarf and the white haired man from before. She was Hawke then, the woman who had tried to help Liara and Shepard before in the shuttle.

"By the Maker, Hawke." Anders said, laughing. "You're getting better and better at sneaking up on me."

There was an awkward few seconds of silence. Shepard glanced between Anders and Hawke before the moment was broken.

"Why do you have blood all down your face and clothes?" Hawke's voice was sharp and a little angry. Anders frowned before glancing down at himself.

"Oh, well, Shepard attacked me."

Hawke rounded on Shepard with something which sounded like a snarl from in her helmet. The Commander met this challenge with haughty silence.

"Anders healed you – he helped you. Why did you attack him?!"

"No, no, Hawke." Anders got to his feet, brushing his clothes before igniting his hand again. The blood vanished. "Shepard attacked me because she thought I'd hurt her companion. It was a misunderstanding."

"Oh."

Shepard decided to chip in, "I thought he was a threat. I was mistaken – we've ironed out all the details."

Shepard relaxed as the woman laughed and removed her helmet. "Anders is always getting himself into trouble; usually with Templars. Seems you've found another playmate, Anders, someone else to beat you to a pulp."

The awkwardness was broken as everyone around the fire relaxed. The Commander allowed herself to examine Hawke silently. She was tall and thin, even under her bulky, heavy looking armour. Her eyes were bright and intelligent – and held the easy confidence of authority. Something which Shepard held in her own heart.

The dwarf, who Shepard correctly remembered was called Varric, seemed jolly as he padded to the fire, hefting his crossbow over his shoulder. His deep brown eyes examined herself and Liara with curiosity as he spoke, "You two are going to make a very interesting story, if you haven't got one already of course. I've got plenty of dead plots here Hawke failed to fill..."

"Oh Varric," Hawke said sweetly, grinning. "We all know you're a compulsive liar, you said so yourself. I'm sure I've surpassed all your plot ideas." At this she drove her gauntleted hand through her hair, smirking. The sullen looking man behind her remained silent, his eyes fixated on Liara with a mixture of what looked like anger and suspicion.

Shepard shifted herself in front of Liara automatically, as though she was attempting to shield the asari from the poisonous glare. This drew Hawke's attention and she turned those sharp, intelligent eyes on her.

"I see you're on your feet now? I have to say, I was a little worried there."

Shepard stood up, noting their similar heights with a small quirk of interest. She liked being on eyelevel with people – it made her feel they were equals.

"Yeah, I'm better now. Still feel a little tender, but I'll be alright." She held out her hand and after a moment, Hawke took it and shook. The metal under Shepard's fingers was cold and heavy. "Anders was just explaining his ability to heal." She turned to peer at him and finally smiled. Her face ached for a moment – she was not used to smiling so openly in front of strangers. "Thanks, for healing me."

He smiled and nodded. "Happy to help."

"I assume you're all alright now?" Hawke said, letting go of Shepard's hand and peering at both herself and Liara.

"Yeah, we're fine."

"I've come to pick up Anders. I'm afraid he's needed back in Kirkwall. Some woman is giving birth and insisting you attend to her."

His expression became instantly serious and he picked up his staff, padding to Hawke. "Right."

"Because of the Wounded Coast's dangerous nature," continued Hawke, looking at Shepard again, "I was considering leaving Varric or Fenris with you to defend you."

The Commander's eyebrow rose slightly and she laughed a little, "Thanks, but me and Liara can protect ourselves. I'm a Commander back home – I can deal with whatever your Wounded Coast throws at me."

Hawke hesitated. Shepard could almost see the choices of words playing through Hawke's mind. There was another second of consideration before the decision was made – her eyes cleared and sharpened again. "Alright. I can see you're capable – if you managed to catch Anders unawares and, by the looks of it, break his nose," this earned a snigger from Varric, "you can pretty much survive out here for a night. We'll be along in the morning to check up with you both. We've brought a night's worth of food, and some fresh clothes."

"Thank you." Shepard replied, surprised as Hawke brought forth a stuffed looking pack. The Commander took it with a nod of thanks. "We'll be in the cave. Twiddling our thumbs, I expect."

This caught a laugh from Hawke's throat and she grinned again. "We'll see you tomorrow. Here are a couple spare weapons." Varric drew forth two swords. Shepard took one, examining it while Liara took the other. It felt heavy and a little unwieldy, but not uncomfortable to hold. She swung it around a little, reminded of her days on the streets when she'd used an iron pole to defend herself.

"Thank you, again." Shepard said, and offered a true smile. Finally, there was an absence of awkwardness and suspicion between them. Shepard trusted Hawke and her merry band. Not enough to be with Liara alone, perhaps, but enough to be grateful and not be on guard around them constantly.

"It's nothing. Be careful out here." Hawke cast an eye around the halo of light from the fire. "And the nights get cold – so wrap up."

"Oh, don't worry," Shepard smirked, "Liara and I are going to get cosy just fine. It'll get pretty hot here, I promise you."

For a split second the innuendo sunk in, and then Hawke let loose a raucous laugh, tilting her head back and howling her mirth. To her credit, Liara looked embarrassed when Shepard threw her a roguish wink, and then blushed when Anders' eyes sought hers in question.

"You're funny, Shepard." Hawke said, patting her shoulder. "We're gonna get along just fine."

"I'm sure we will." Shepard grinned. "We'll see you tomorrow morning, then, mm?"

"Yeah." Hawke took a step back before turning away. "See you tomorrow."

With that Hawke and her troop padded away into the darkness. Shepard sighed before turning to peer at Liara, who was still slightly flushed. The sounds of the night filled the gap – they were alone together, finally, for the first time since the disastrous meeting on the Normandy.

"So..." Shepard began, feeling a little uncomfortable. It was the same as before, on the shuttle. Issues unspoken, and neglected, hung between them like the smoke from the fire. _Now, that's an unwelcome metaphor_, she thought as the fire's breath moved before her, clouding her asari lover in a mist.

"Shepard, we need to discuss what we're going to do with the shuttle." Liara stepped forward, out of the smoke and touched the Commander's cheek gently with a lithe blue finger. Shepard swallowed before Liara continued in a softer voice. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. I'm just... just thinking about our predicament." Shepard replied, taking Liara's hand in her own. She almost flinched at the difference in their skin – where Liara was soft, Shepard was course and calloused.

"Let us examine the contents of the pack, shall we?" The corner of the asari's mouth quirked up in a smile; Shepard's heart ached slightly.

"Yeah. Sure."

Together they settled next to the fire. Shepard pulled the pack from her shoulder and placed it between them, before opening it. On top were two cloaks made of what seemed to be wool. Shepard pulled one out and placed it around Liara's shoulders. She looked surprised, but grateful and she did the same for Shepard, her blue fingers fumbling with the fastening. They watched each other for a moment before returning to the pack. Underneath were two sets of clothes; a dress for Liara (Shepard found this amusing, but only smirked rather than comment) and a tunic and trousers for herself, as well as two fresh pairs of underwear. Liara blushed slightly when she pulled them out and Shepard guffawed.

"Aw yeah, you're gonna look really sexy in those." She laughed. Liara threw her a scandalized look.

"Be quiet, Shepard! Just because they don't look particularly flattering now doesn't mean... well..." Her voice died as her cheeks burned. The Commander continued to chortle.

After the clothes there was food: several small cakes, a couple loaves of bread, some cheese, smoked meat, more than a few apples, some butter in a glass jar and finally a knife. All were contained in little boxes – even the apples. Someone had taken care so they didn't get bruised. And finally, right at the bottom of the pack were two sets of boots, two pairs of socks and two daggers in leather sheaths.

When the pack was completely empty they both hesitated. The smart thing to do was to get dressed in the new clothes – however, Shepard was uncomfortable. _She doesn't want to get changed in front of me because of what happened on the Normandy. She feels like she's not welcome._

"C'mon then," Shepard said, grabbing her clothes before getting to her feet. "Let's go get changed." She extended her hand to the asari, who was still sat on the floor, peering up at her. The gesture held a cloaked invitation. _Yes,_ Shepard thought, _take my hand and come into my lair, Liara._ In the few seconds that there was silence, the Commander was painfully aware of how loudly her heart was beating. It was throbbing in her throat, positively clawing at her mouth to let it out. But then the cool blue hand slid in to hers and the asari got up, flashing Shepard a shy, but strangely sly, smile for the first time since before her death.

"Let us go, Commander." Liara purred, her bright blue eyes flickering almost hungrily in the light off the fire.

Shepard unstuck her throat. "Yeah, let's."

With that she led the asari to the cave.


	6. Chapter 6

**Howdy everyone, I'm back! Collage got in the way a bit. Anyway, I'm requesting true, constructive criticism on this - it's the first love scene that I've published, and I want to make it better for everyone! Yes, I was a bit of a troll, I know, by doing what I do :P Sorry, but this was agonising and torturing me and I wanted to get it up quickly.**

**So, enjoy! And the plot begins now!**

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Chapter 6

The cave was slightly oppressive as Shepard led the asari into the dim shadows.

"There's a pool of water right at the back." Liara said softly.

"Oh?"

"I explored while you were unconscious. I thought that's what you would do." Shepard's interest was pricked, and she glanced back at the asari, who continued. "The terrain is rather bland – dusty and barren with few plants. The sea is a little distance away; I saw a narrow path running down there. The vegetation is inedible. We will have to depend on Hawke and her companions."

"I see." Shepard came to a halt where the light barely touched her. Here, she felt more comfortable. The idea of seeing the hurt in Liara's eyes when she denied the meld again was a little unbearable. However, she could not refuse the tightening in her gut, or the yearning she felt.

"Shepard?" The innocence in Liara's voice made the Commander almost flinch._ But she isn't innocent anymore,_ Shepard thought, _she was the Shadow Broker now. And in regards to her 'innocence', I have very much taken care of that._

"I figured you and I should make up for lost time." The Commander smiled slightly in the half dark. Liara's hand was cool in hers as she raised it to her mouth and kissed the knuckles. The asari blushed and looked away.

"You're being suspiciously charming." Liara said softly.

"Yes, well," Shepard smirked, "I can't be a gentle_man_ due to my sex. But I can be a gentledyke." The joke had been used between them before, but the Commander was pleased to see it still tickled a small laugh from the asari's throat. A tender hand brushed through her hair as Liara moved closer. Shepard took a moment to gaze into those deep blue eyes – they seemed to swallow her whole, like the eternity of space. Staring into Liara's eyes was like drowning, Shepard decided; her heart always thrashed in something like panic, and her breath always came short, before sweet bliss calmed her. In other words dangerous.

Then she lay all poetry aside; it was time to get this show on the road.

Shepard leaned down and captured those soft lips with all the possessive anguish she felt in her heart of hearts. With shaking hands, she pulled the lithe warm body tight against her, crushing the asari against her in desperation. Perhaps Liara sensed Shepard's urgency, for the clutched at her shoulders allowing entrance to her mouth so their tongues could duel for domination.

Shepard won, as always, and quickly shoved Liara against the wall. It was with sweet frustration that the Commander caught the asari's bottom lip in her teeth, and bit just enough to earn a sharp gasp. The noise drove Shepard's arousal through the roof – a haze fogged her brain as she nudged Liara's chin up and nibbled the soft skin of her neck.

"Shepard..." Liara's voice, thick with titillation, made the Commander shiver. Her scent was just as teasing as she remembered it. It made her hunger for more.

Hastily, she rooked up the velvety dress; Shepard had never been the patient type. Silky skin met her pawing hands and Liara quivered slightly, humming breathlessly. The Commander growled softly, shoving her knee between those legs, jerking it up against the hot core at the juncture of Liara's thighs. It was with almost wild abandon that Liara's hips started grinding down against her leg, and Shepard couldn't help but grin into the crook of her neck.

"Oh... Shepard..." Liara murmured softly, "Let us make love in the pool."

Somehow, she didn't have the heart to tell Liara she wasn't going to make love to her. She was going to use her.

No, no, she wasn't as callous as that – she was just going to fuck her. Yeah, that made the iron lump of guilt shrink a little. Not by much, though.

Without a word, the Commander pulled away, taking hold of a wrist and dragging the asari to the back of the cave. It was pitch black here; Shepard was not used to having sex in the complete dark. However, it was oddly thrilling being blind – after the initial awkwardness of finding each other's lips, the fire of her hunger returned two-fold. Actually locating the water was another obstacle. Liara seemed reluctant to let go of Shepard's shoulders, almost as though her Commander would disappear if she released her.

The pool was icy to the touch when Shepard kicked off her boots and socks – the water had leaked across the floor of the cave, tricking sweetly with innocent playfulness. She hissed as she plunged her foot into the cold, before pushing the asari away and starting to undress. A dark dream of casting clothes aside was followed by the warmth of her lover as she carefully guided the asari forth.

She stopped when the water came up to her waist. The floor was smooth against the soles of her feet, and there was an ever so slight current. The tendrils of water teased at her legs, making her smile slightly. The coyish temptation to go deeper was held in check by the Commander's childish fear of deep water; a vivid memory of flaying like some earth fish came to mind. She shook her head before reaching for the sweet warmth of her companion.

"Goddess..." Liara's voice shook with the chill – Shepard felt her way up a goose fleshed arm and rubbed it briskly in an attempt to keep the asari comfortable.

"It sure is cold." the Commander said, failing to keep the smirk out of her voice. This earned her a gentle pinch on the thigh in rebuke, before she was rewarded by the asari's chest being pressed against her. Taut nipples conveyed Liara's mixture of excitement and cold. Or, at least Shepard hoped it was excitement. It would be awful if Liara was just doing this to satisfy Shepard's extremely potent needs. "Now, where were we?"

It was with romanticised ease that Shepard pushed her knee back between Liara's legs. The asari shivered again, nails digging into bare shoulders as the Commander grinded her leg against her.

"I-I missed you..." Liara whispered into the darkness, and Shepard hummed very softly in answer, dipping her head down and trailing a set of open-mouthed kisses along the silky line of the asari's neck. Her fingers dug into flesh as her core panged in slight jealousy at a gentle moan.

It felt like an age since she had last held the asari – her scent was teasing and sweet, reflecting her past innocence. Shepard found Liara's lips and kissed her fiercely, groaning softly as that malleable mouth yielded under her ministrations.

"Shepard… let me assist you." Liara murmured sultrily, and she gently pushed the Commander away. Shepard blinked owlishly in the dark, and allowed the asari to tenderly ease her backwards until she was settled on the lip of the pool.

"Mm… Commander," Liara purred. Shepard could almost taste the smirk she must have been wearing. It did nothing to quell her rising yearning. "I've been a bad girl."

Shepard's mouth went dry, but she unstuck her throat, "Oh yeah? How so?" She felt herself being pushed onto her back – the water lapped against her skin as she settled on the smooth stone, chilling her as an icy breeze kissed her naked flesh. She shivered slightly, and then her breath hitched as she felt her legs being pried open. There was the sound of water moving, and a warm hand brushed gently over her thigh.

"I've been disobeying your orders, Commander."

Shepard tensed and then swallowed, her poor mind torn between questioning which orders Liara had went against, and the teasing fingers which were tracing a scorching path up her leg.

"Which… which ones have you disobeyed?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Liara murmured as she finally reached her goal. Shepard sucked in a breath, her eyes falling closed as familiar finger tips traced over her. Teasingly, the asari touched her – it was with an almost cautious air. Shepard sighed, wishing she could see her partner's face in the deep dark.

Then she felt the shadow of a tongue against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, and the ghost of teeth. She felt herself clench around nothing – it had been a while since Liara had had her way with her. Back on the Normandy, it had all been about reassuring the asari that Shepard was still there. Now… now it seemed that Liara had taken matters into her own hands. _And tongue_, Shepard thought dazedly as she felt an inquisitive, experimental little lick even closer to where she ached.

...

Dawn bled into the sky with all the rich charisma of fresh blood – mesmerising to look at, uncomfortable to touch. The cave was still dark, but comfortably dry; Shepard lay awake, staring up at the ceiling while Liara snored gently beside her. Her mouth tasted awful and she longed for a toothbrush, or at least some mouthwash. She moved her tongue, swallowing and twisting her face slightly.

She had been laying there for the past hour – staring at nothing but stone. There was something not right. She felt as though she had missed something, like she had expected a step only to be met with flat floor. The barren emptiness in her gut only grew as she fidgeted under the thick cloak Hawke had provided. The pack proved as a mediocre pillow – Liara was using her shoulder, and her arm had long since gone numb.

The Commander paused in her thoughts when the asari began to stir; she felt a stray leg shift and slide away.

It was then that the vivid light of the sun slapped her in the face. Blinded, she let out a yell as light brushed its way over the cave, and would (for a few minutes) light the entire cave, all the way to the back, and where the pool lay.

"Shepard!" Liara gasped, instantly alert. The Commander continued cradling her smarting eyes, waving a hand dismissively.

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

"No. Shepard, look at this!" The excitement and wonder in Liara's voice was enough for the Commander to let go of her eyes. She blinked, nonplussed at what the asari was so excited about, but by a swift tap on her shoulder, she looked to the left, to the very back of the cave.

The dawn sunlight had burnished the stone a gorgeous gold, and had thrown glimmering shadows of the water into relief. However, that wasn't what she was ogling at.

Above the pool, in all its glory, was a cave painting of a reaper.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry for the lateness of this chapter. My life has taken an upturn, and I'm kind of getting used to some changes. Woohoo for gay marriage being legalised in the UK! **

**Anyway, please enjoy. I promise future chapters will be uploaded quicker.**

**For those interested, I am also writing a long Miranda/Jack oneshot for a friend. I will be uploading it here.**

**Cheers, Sin**

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Chapter 7

Liara watched as Shepard staggered to her feet, mouth agape in shock. The sun was still a bright eye in the sky, throwing its light against the sandy wall and illuminating the cave painting. She returned her attention to it, her mind whirring as she analysed it critically – it looked old. As old as the paintings she'd seen pictures of in the caves of Earth, maybe even older. The single red eye glared hatefully out at her, angular body rippling with the light off the water below. Carefully, she approached it, the cool breeze sending goose bumps up her legs and arms as she stepped into the water and waded forwards.

"Be careful, Liara!" Shepard said, her voice a little panicked.

"There is nothing to be careful of, Shepard." she replied, "It is just a painting."

Standing before it, she extended a hand and brushed a cool finger over it. It was real, then – she could feel the texture of the paint under her fingertip. The way it resembled a reaper made her feel uncomfortable. Automatically, she raised her arm to scan it before remembering that she was naked, and that her omni-tool had broken in the crash. Her arm dropped and splashed, splattering her side with cold water, and she shivered, before turning and wading back to the side.

Shepard peered at her, eyes suddenly light and something like hunger sharpened her features. Liara blushed slightly, and swallowed before climbing as gracefully as she could out of the pool. The cool wind kissed her wet skin, and she trembled slightly before padding towards the clothes Hawke had kindly provided for her. The dress was soft and warm in her hands, but it was not the right clothing for being wrecked on a strange planet, in a strange part of the galaxy. If they still were in their galaxy.

"Well, anything interesting?" Shepard said as she gathered her clothes.

"It's old, and definitely not a fake – it really was painted here." Liara frowned slightly, "What puzzles me is who in the galaxy would paint a reaper."

"Maybe it isn't a reaper." The Commander said hopefully. "Maybe it's just some kind of jumped up squid or prawn. With a red eye."

"It has a remarkable resemblance to a reaper, Shepard, there is no denying that."

The human shrugged and went back to inspecting and gathering clothes. Liara hummed softly, delving deep into her thoughts as she pulled the dress over her head. Her memories from before the crash were hazy – she could distinctly remember leaving the Normandy with Shepard, and the awkward conversation during the flight. However, the crash itself was a void in her reminiscences. She was sure if she joined with Shepard, the gap would be filled.

At this thought, Liara glanced at the Commander with concerned desperation. She was humming absently to herself, sorting through the food Hawke had packed them, while getting dressed at the same time. The asari took a moment to muse over her lover's habit of doing things 'on the hoof' as someone had once said. Perhaps it had been Anderson. Her concern returned twofold as her heart clenched with affection.

Last night's activities had been enjoyable but unsatisfactory. Shepard was still reluctant to meld with her, and when the asari's pained pleading had become too much for her, their joining was rough, short and confusing. Liara recalled briefly what it was like to dwell in Shepard's mind. Even if it was for a brief moment, filled with confusing, agonising ecstasy, Liara noticed it was uncharacteristically dark, and filled with walls. At every turn, shadows haunted the recesses of her mind and terrible memories blared like klaxons from what seemed to be emotional traumas. However, the asari was aware that she had caught a mere glimpse of what Shepard was going through. Her mental defences were surprisingly strong; they were obviously constructed out of pure willpower, rather than skill and training.

"Liara, you hungry?" Shepard called cheerfully. Her voice was slightly muffled and Liara looked up to articulate why. A piece of bread was wedged between her teeth, and her lips were pealed into a smile. The asari was momentarily taken aback by how young Shepard looked.

"I… yes, Shepard, I am." She replied, making her way over to the excited looking human. She took the bread the Commander handed to her, and watched as she walked to the mouth of the cave, looking out. She was fully dressed – the leather trousers were tight and fitted, and the leather tunic was positively divine… For a moment the wind stirred her hair, and her eyes closed with what could have been bliss. Liara froze, staring at her with baited breath – it had been so long since she'd seen Shepard seem so serene. But then the moment was stolen from her as the Commander opened her eyes and started singing badly at the top of her voice, swaggering out the cave and heading out of sight.

Liara took one last glance at the reaper painting – the sun had risen sufficiently to hide it in shadow – before heading after the human. She half imagined, half believed she could feel its envious eye on her back: scrutinising, and drawing its plans against them.

…

The sun glared down on Liara as she attempted to dissuade Shepard from her hare-brained plan.

"You cannot possibly hope to move the shuttle with brute strength alone, Commander." She said for the fifth time with a hint of exasperation. The human was currently attempting to rock the shuttle off its nose.

"I – have – to – try!" Shepard panted before she stumbled away, breathing hard and fast. Sweat steadily dripped off the bridge of her nose. "The only way I'm going to get Andrews out of there and bury him is to get this shuttle onto its belly."

"Can it not wait?" Liara padded forwards, laying a hand gently on her Commander's arm. This earned her a questioning glance. "Anders explicitly stipulated that you were not to do anything strenuous for at least a few days. You were very badly wounded – he could only heal the first few layers of skin and muscle tissue."

Shepard snorted dismissively, "I know my limitations."

"If you did, you wouldn't be trying to move a UT-47 Kodiak Drop Shuttle without assistance, and when you are clearly injured."

"I'm not –"

"Don't think I didn't notice you twisting your face in pain a couple minutes ago."

The Commander sighed and turned away, her voice frustrated but resigned as she spoke through gritted teeth. "Alright, alright."

_Round one to me, _Liara thought grimly as she watched her stubborn lover circle the shuttle for the umpteenth time. While Shepard busied herself with the task at hand, the asari decided to investigate the surrounding area again. Her exploration the previous night had been incomplete; she desired to see the terrain in the daytime. However, before she could begin, she turned back to Shepard, "Is there anything you need me to do?"

"Yeah, just help me get the survival packs, and then I'll see what we have to live on." Shepard clambered into the shuttle and disappeared from view – Liara could hear the faint rustling of the human investigating. She was reminded of the sound of Shepard's space hamster scurrying around in his cage on the Normandy.

While she waited for the Commander's call, she turned her attention up to the cave itself. Thanks to her rather comfortable childhood, she liked (what Shepard called) her creature comforts. However, having spent much of her maiden years scurrying around dig sites and sleeping on cavern floors, this instinctive desire for luxury had been tempered slightly with her (albeit) squashed love of sleeping in the wild. In the light of morning and without the haze of panic, the cave seemed rather homey; there was a slight path from the clearing where the shuttle had crashed to the gape in the rock where she and Shepard had slept. The entrance itself was nicely sheltered from the brisk sea wind by shoulders of rocks on either side. There was even a tiny plant screwed pitifully on the sandy stone above the entrance, its small branches waving violently as the ocean's breath raked its leaves.

"Oh!" said a voice from the shuttle. Liara twisted on her heel, her biotics flaring naturally in response to her instinct to protect. However, it was only Shepard – she was hanging out the yawning gap in the shuttle's flank, something swinging off one finger.

"What is it?" Liara said, extinguishing her biotics quickly. She didn't want to seem too on edge.

"I found a spare omni-tool."

"You found a what?" Said a voice. Liara turned to see that Hawke and her gang had arrived. Clad again in thick armour, she sheathed a bloodied sword across her back, pulling off her helmet and flashing a broad grin.

"Hawke!" the Commander said, dropping out the shuttle and striding over, hand outstretched. "We haven't really been formally introduced – I was pretty out of it when we last met. I'm now officially up and running."

Hawke shook hands with Shepard heartily, laughing merrily. "You were badly wounded – you have Anders to thank for saving your life."

Liara cast her eyes to Hawke's companions; the same men who had accompanied the woman before were present. Anders, the brooding man with the strange tattoos and even stranger ears, and the smaller man who she remembered was called Varric. She smiled in greeting, and her gesture of welcome was returned from all but the brooding man. She received a positively venomous glare, as though she was something very nasty on the bottom of his foot. She felt suddenly uncomfortable; it was almost as if this man disapproved of her very existence.

"So, what are your plans for today then?" Hawke asked, shifting her weight as she regarded the shuttle curiously.

"We're gonna move this baby out of sight so we can start working on repairs." Shepard replied cheerfully, rubbing her hands together and grinning happily. "First, though, I found these." Out of her pocket she pulled four spare translators. "Just put them in your ears and you'll be able to understand Liara."

The brooding man suddenly grunted, his voice deep and filled with searing hatred. "What makes you think we wish to hear what the demon has to say?"

Shepard's demeanour changed rapidly. Her smile was replaced with a dark scowl, and she turned on her heel, squaring up to the man with her shoulders set. "What did you just call Liara, punk?"

His deep green eyes narrowed and his lips parted in a sneer, which seemed much too comfortable on his face. The asari watched as his gauntleted fingers flexed with something akin to alarm. It was as though he was imagining wrapping his hands around Shepard's throat.

"Just ignore Fenris," Anders said, his eyebrows bulleted together in a deep frown, "he sees anything strange to him as the work of magic and demons."

"Silence, Abomination!" snarled Fenris, twisting to him with rabid intensity – Liara was forcefully reminded of a creature called a wolf Shepard had once told her about. "You could be working with the demon! Working against us!"

"Oh be quiet, Broody." Varric said, his rough voice cutting across Anders' heated reply. Hawke cleared her throat and the situation was defused instantly. Shepard was still scowling, her face taut with irritation as she positively glared at Fenris' retreating back. He had stalked away, his back turned on everyone else.

"I'm sorry for Fenris' attitude. He distrusts strangers." Hawke said.

Shepard grunted in reply, "No excuse for being rude. I'll forgive him, for now." Dismissively, she turned back to the shuttle. The asari felt her heart swelling with sudden affection. "Anyway, the translators." Shepard handed them to Hawke, who examined them before handing them out. Fenris refused with a grunt.

Hawke and her companions eyed the translators for a moment before placing them in the curve of their ears. Liara felt a little nervous – she hoped the translators worked for them. It would be rather detrimental to Shepard and herself if they couldn't understand.

"They feel… interesting." Varric said after a moment. Hawke and Anders nodded their agreement.

"They are quite an inventive device," Liara began, taking this opportunity to test the usefulness of the translators. However, she was interrupted by gasps of astonishment.

"I can understand her!"

"I know what she said! What magic is this?" Hawke proceeded to take the translator out her ear. "Talk again!"

Feeling self conscious, the asari continued her explanation, "They work by changing the sound waves created by my speech into something you can understand. Every species has their own languages programmed in. You are fortunate Shepard speaks the same dialect as yourselves. Human translators appear to work for you."

"I understood none of that." Hawke said, grinning and putting her translator back in. "You sound Oriesian – your language is very… flowery."

Liara was unsure if this was an insult or not, so she nodded her head and replied, "Thank you."

"Have we gotten over the novelty?" Shepard said, her tone flat but a smirk was playing on the corner of her lips. The others nodded and moved closer – Liara took a step back, wanting to watch the proceedings without interfering. If the Fenris man had a problem with her, she did not wish to disturb Shepard's taking lead.

"Right, I need to move this shuttle out the way. It's conspicuous, and I don't want to draw any… unwanted attention." Shepard explained.

"I can help," Anders said. "If we had Merrill, it would be easier. However, I could probably move it a little distance."

"I'll provide you with plenty of lyrium." Hawke agreed, nodding her head.

Shepard looked vastly relieved. "Good, that's good. I'll need to inspect it, and see if I can repair it." The fleeting worry would have been missed by anyone else except Liara – she could see it in those eyes. If Shepard couldn't get back to the Normandy, the Collectors would tear the colonies apart, and the Reapers would not be far behind them. "I can do the first bit myself–"

"No, you can't." Liara interrupted. The group turned to peer at her. She continued, maintaining eye contact with Shepard. "The Commander wishes to push the shuttle onto its belly without assistance. I know she cannot possibly hope to achieve this without aid. It would be foolish to allow her to do it herself."

The scowl on Shepard's face would deter anyone else, but Liara felt proud that she had managed to control something of the Commander's life. Luckily for her, Anders agreed.

"Even if you were in peak physical condition, you would probably struggle. You were very badly wounded yesterday – Liara is correct."

"Fine." Shepard said stiffly. There was something in her expression which made Liara realise she would be hearing more about what she had done later. She did not look forward to the confrontation – it would involve a lot of swearing and shouting, she suspected.

Almost at once, Hawke and her crew got to work. Shepard demanded she assist, and Liara helped too. All five of them gathered at the front of the shuttle, and braced themselves before beginning to push.

Even with four, extremely fit warriors (with the exception of an injured Shepard – she was hardly in crowning physical condition), it took a lot of sweat and toil to get the downed shuttle to even tilt a little more off its nose. It was here that the group paused. Blood had seeped out of the gaps where the metal hull had been ripped apart by the impact, and pooled in the dust. The pilot, Andrews, was still in there. Now, it would appear he was nothing more than blood and meat. It was a little more than a few minutes before they got back to it.

Liara was relieved with the struggle. The physical strain of it allowed her mind to wander. It allowed her to lose herself in the grunting, sweating, pain of it all. It allowed her to truly _think _for the first time since the crash.

In the slim event of Shepard being able to fix the shuttle, would they ever get back home? Liara was almost certain they had been warped through a wormhole – that was, a 'portal' to a parallel universe. Although wormholes were theoretical, in her time as a xenoarchaeologist she had often come across wormholes in Prothean texts. However, she had no idea how they were going to get through another one, or if a wormhole would take them back to their own home. It might ship them off to another parallel universe. She resolved to take a look at the datalogs of the shuttle's computer if they managed to restore power to it. If she could collect the data, and set up their emergency long-range sensors, she could compare the results and scan for more wormholes.

With this plan in mind, she pushed as hard as she could against the unyielding metal, her shoes slipping in the blood below.

Finally, with a last grunt of exertion from Shepard, the shuttle shuddered and crashed to the ground. The impact sent the group dispersing slightly – all were panting, sweating and aching from the toil.


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N: Hi guys! This chapter gave me nightmares. It's my least favourite chapter.**

**This was beta'd by Rae D. Magdon - she is one of the best fanfiction writers out there if you like Liara/femShep with a siding of Tevos/Aria! Seriously, this legend gave me the inspiration to write this fic.**

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Chapter 8

Commander Shepard's head was pounding. She winced and cast an eye to the heavens – the sun was glaring down at her, watching with indefatigable fury amidst an ocean of blue. She was sitting on a rock, trying to master her shaking hands. All she could think about was the burn in her throat, the ache of her head, and every shudder of her body. She needed a drink; a stiff drink. Everything inside her was screaming for alcohol – she could almost feel the tingling of whiskey as it trickled down her throat. She didn't know what to do. For once in her life, she didn't know what to do with herself.

The headache had been stirring in her mind since this morning. Now, it was thundering. She could barely think. If only she had her hipflask with her! She half-heartedly patted pockets that weren't her own. Her trusty hipflask… it was sitting in her cabin on the Normandy, right on the desk, where she'd left it.

God, she needed a drink so badly…

"Are you alright?" Said a voice. Shepard looked up into a pair of deep eyes. Hawke was standing above her, peering at her curiously. The shuttle was lying where it had fallen – Andrews's remains were pooling in the dust. She considered the red gore and experienced a moment of sudden revulsion at herself. She was completely desensitised to the sight. She felt no twinge of disgust at the idea that the puddle had once been a living, breathing, thinking person. She was only aware of her headache, and the way her sight blurred at the edges, and the pain in her stomach and… and the aching need for a drink.

"I'm fine." Shepard said roughly, getting to her feet. The world tilted alarmingly, but she compensated automatically, and showed no outward sign of the discomfort. Liara was talking with Anders; they were crouched next to each other. The Commander waited for the familiar swelling of possessive jealousy.

Strangely, none came – only the constant desire for alcohol remained. She should have been alarmed, but she wasn't. Just… distracted. And irritated. She was annoyed with Liara for undermining her in front of a group of strangers. Shepard was the commanding officer, and Liara had no right to overrule her in regards to anything.

"Right," Shepard said, striding to the shuttle. The chattering group fell silent; Liara got to her feet, regarding the Commander calmly. This irritated Shepard for some reason, but she quashed the emotion. She was just tired and grumpy. She wouldn't take it out on Liara. "I'm going to get the survival packs. Liara, could you use your biotics to open up the front? I'm going to get what remains of Andrews and bury him. It's what he deserves."

Shepard was reminded of Jenkins. She hadn't had the chance to bury him. Now, she had naught but scraps to place in the ground. She really had to stop crewmembers from being killed.

"Yes, Commander." Liara said, picking her way over to the shuttle.

"You really are a commander, aren't you?" Hawke asked. "What army do you serve in?"

"Alliance military." Shepard replied automatically. For a moment, she recalled Anderson – if he could see her now, he would be disappointed.

Swallowing her guilt, she turned her attention to Liara. She had clambered into the cool interior, and blue light flared like the first rays of dawn before the front of the shuttle screeched and slowly began creaking back into its original shape. Hawke and her companions gasped in surprise – several pairs of eyes rounded on the Commander, questions practically popping out of their minds and onto their tongues.

Shepard sighed internally, but decided to meet the rising curiosity with valiant determination. Fortunately for her, she didn't get the chance. At that moment there was a momentous crunching sound, and the front of the shuttle popped back into place. There was a pause before Liara came into view, smiling before she began to explain biotics.

The Commander happily abandoned the asari, scrambling into the shuttle and starting to peel what remained of Andrews off the crushed seat. There wasn't much; just shards of bone embedded in the material and bits of gore. She gathered as much of it as she could anyway. She owed him that much.

…

The sandy soil smelt strangely rich as Shepard placed the last handful of dirt over the final resting place of Richard Andrews. The sun was setting now – distantly she could hear the crackle of a fire, and smell the rich scent of cooking meat. Hunger coiled in her belly. Despite this she turned her gaze skywards, examining the first twinkle of starlight. The shuttle had long been moved out of the way. Anders and Liara had combined their godly powers and shifted the desecrated hulk of metal to a particularly thick area of brush.

The same feeling of discontent from earlier washed over her – something wasn't quite right. Hawke was too nice, her gang were too heavily armoured, and there was a coiling, uneasy, angry feeling in her gut.

It took her a moment to understand it.

She was frustrated. She was spoiling for a fight and she didn't know why. Liara's earlier insurrection was still pissing her off, but that wasn't why she wanted to rip and tear and kill and–

A sound snapped her out of her thoughts. The soft, sinister sound of metal against metal made the hairs tingle on the back of her neck. Shepard took a single, soft, slow breath before turning around, drawing the Carnifex as she did so and holding the barrel against the creature standing directly behind her.

The Commander's first thought was something about a bull before she pulled the trigger and the gunshot roared through the evening silence, cleaving the peace in two. The bullet sailed through the couple feet between Shepard and the creature, penetrating the spot directly between its eyes and burrowing its way through thick skull like a hot knife through butter. It continued on its path, burning through tender grey matter before exploding with the force of a miniature grenade within the creature's head. Skull and gore created a sickeningly beautiful firework as the beast stumbled back and collapsed to the ground.

Shouts from the camp played sweetly in her ears as the sound of swords on swords echoed towards her. Laughing madly, the Commander leaped forwards, eager for combat.

The iridescent fire of Liara's biotics was her beacon. Shepard hurled herself into the fight, facing the strange bull beasts with a mighty roar. For the first time since her reincarnation, she felt alive – she could hear the blood pounding in her ears as she discharged a thermal clip from the heavy pistol and slammed another into place. She could feel her heart thundering against her ribs as she thrust a savage fist into the face of one of the strange creatures. With a bellow, it fell away and she let rip two bullets – one for the beast's stomach, the other for its head.

And then she saw Liara. Swathed in blue fire, the asari gave a great flick of her wrist, producing a powerful warp and hurling it at a particularly large creature. It writhed in pain, bellowing and shaking its mighty horns. The Commander's dead heart burst with sudden emotion, and she took a running jump, landing hard on the beast's back. With a snarl she buried the Carnifex against the creature's head and fired. Blood splattered to the dusty ground. The bulk below her fell and she rolled away, laughing before springing to her feet, back to back with Hawke.

"What are these things?" Shepard heard herself ask.

"Qunari," Hawke said, the clash and thrust of swords echoing from her end of the fight.

There was a burst of blue light, and the slight scent of ozone – Anders had fried a particularly ugly specimen of the Qunari race and the last few creatures scattered before leaping away, disappearing into the brush. As soon as the fight had started, it had ended.

Breathing hard, Shepard straightened, her heart thundering as she cast an eye over the rest of the crew, appraising them. Liara was unhurt, though a little shaken. She stepped daintily over a corpse and headed towards her, deep blue eyes holding something like concern.

"You do get results, don't you, Hawke?" Varric smirked, patting his crossbow tenderly.

"Yeah…" Hawke smiled slightly, sheathing the great weapon over her back. Blood steadily dripped from the tiny hole at the tip of the sheath, leaving tiny rubies on the sand. Sharp eyes cast their gaze over the Commander, judgment in those deep shards of stone. "You're a good fighter."

Shepard shrugged, "When the whole galaxy is at risk, you kind of have to be."

"How would you like to join us?"

The words were unexpected. Shepard paused, frowning slightly. "Join you?"

"Yes. Come to Kirkwall with us, and we'll get you a house or something to stay in. We'll have to hide Liara – the Templars will think the same thing Fenris did. Except they'll be less kind about it." There was a soft grunt from the man standing directly behind her. "What do you say?"

The Commander turned to peer at Liara. A moment of silent communication passed between them. An eyebrow on Shepard's part lowered before she turned back to Hawke.

"No. We'll stay here for a couple more days. We want to get more… accustomed to your world before moving anywhere near the city."

The sea breeze made Hawke's hair flutter as she regarded the two of them. The silence was broken by the twittering call of a bird from somewhere in the brush.

"There will be other attacks, like the one this evening."

"We are aware of that." Liara said coolly, stepping forwards, her biotics flaring as Shepard inspected her Carnifex, popping the worn heat sink and pulling her second to last one out of her belt. "We will be prepared."

Varric watched them with interest – Shepard saw something spark in his deep hazel eyes; something like inspiration.

"Very well." Hawke said softly. "We shall depart. Be careful."

Shepard nodded, relieved at the prospect of just spending an evening with Liara. Varric turned slightly, smirking and saying nonchalantly, "I'll bring some drinks tomorrow. It's time we heard your stories."

The roaring thirst returned to the Commander, and she swallowed but laughed in an attempt to mask her desperation. "Good. It'll be nice to see if your liquor measures up to our own."

Varric laughed softly and the pack turned to go, but not before Liara called out.

"Are you aware of any strange cave paintings in this area?"

Shepard's stomach jumped – how could she have forgotten? The Reaper painting in the cave that had watched over them as they'd slept had sent shivers down her spine. Despite her earlier optimism, it was clear that the painting was a Reaper. She had enough nightmares of Sovereign to know the difference between a squid and a sentient machine.

Nonplussed, Hawke shook her head. "I'm afraid not – I spend most of my time killing, not observing art in caves."

Disappointed, Liara nodded. "Very well. See you tomorrow."

"Bye!"

The warriors traipsed away, disappearing down the path. Gradually, the sound of their clinking armour was heard no more.


End file.
